Saturday, 13 January 2018

(Photo) Diary of a Solo Traveller - Malta #1

As I mentioned in my previous post, in December 2017 I embarked on my first solo travel adventures which took me to Malta - a beautiful country with so much to offer.

View from my room

I stayed in St Julian's which is a small seaside town filled with lots of things to do, in a beautiful Bed & Breakfast called The Stonehouse. About 10 minutes West of St Julian's is a district called Paceville, an area full of nightclubs, bars, casinos and restaurants. As I was by myself I didn't venture there but I saw a lot of people heading in that direction, so for those thinking of travelling with friends that may be one for the list. St Julian's is situated along the coast so has some beautiful sites and beaches nearby.

Victorian Balluta Building

Two minutes away from where I was staying is Spinola Bay, which is a cute little rock beach with beautiful views. About 10 minutes down the promenade is another rock beach, Balluta Bay. Because of the time of year the beaches were empty but I can imagine in the summer they get packed. I went during their winter which I actually found to be quite warm. It was funny because the people of Malta and I have very different definitions of the word 'cold', they were wrapped up so warm but to me the temperature was quite mild, resembling spring in London.

I arrived at my B&B around midday and took a couple of hours to rest as I woke up at 3am to catch my 7am flight! (Side note: my flight was only £35 return with Ryanair! I found that absolute bargain using skyscanner.net) Under the advice of my hostess I bought a package deal which included a 90 minute harbour cruise around the two natural harbours and 10 creeks Malta has to offer; and two hop-on hop-off bus tours exploring the North and South regions of Malta. Bought individually these excursions would have cost me €55, but with the deal I got all 3 for €47. As I wasn't completely sure what I wanted to do while I was there, I decided this was the best thing to do. So after my rest, I dragged myself out of my room and boarded the Harbour Cruise which departed from Sliema Ferries. There were a number of buses I could have used to take me to Sliema (13, 14, 15 or 16) but I decided to walk along the promenade which took me approximately 35/40 minutes - the weather was beautiful and I had the time so I thought, why not?

The cruise was very nice and I learned a lot about the history of Valletta and the Three cities. It wasn't very busy which I assume was due to the time of the year but that was fine with me. When the cruise began (around 4pm) the weather was decent but as time went on, the temperature dropped, it got very cold and the water was a bit rocky. I'm sure it'll be different in the summer, but if you ever go in the winter make sure you wrap up warm and maybe avoid (or take precautions) if you get seasick!

Dinner at Peperoncino

For my second day (first full day) in Malta I spent it all in Valletta, the capital of Malta. As far as capitals go, Valletta is tiny, but that makes it perfect for a day trip because even though it's small there is a lot going on. There are many sites to see, museums to explore, shops, restaurants and bars to visit.Valletta Centre (along Republic Street)

St George's Square

The architecture of Malta is gorgeous and has so much of the culture rooted in them.

Also, I am now obsessed with doors.

Lunch at Taproom; great atmosphere with delicious food

Lower Barrakka Gardens

Siege Bell War Memorial

Upper Barrakka Gardens & Castille Place

Saluting Battery

Manwel Dimench statue in Castille Place

Church of Our Lady of Victories

View from Hastings Gardens

One of the things I enjoy doing when I travel to other countries is going to museums and galleries and learning about the history and culture of the country. Surprisingly I didn't go to any in Malta, but there were quite a few in Valletta, including Casa Rocca Piccola, National War Museum and National Museum of Fine Arts to name a few. These places and much more are on the list for my next visit to Malta as I am definitely going back. The second installment of my photo diary will be up soon xo

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